Introduction

The applause was deafening, but a cold sweat trickled down my back.

One moment, I was falling, the city skyline spinning. The next, I was here, at the TechFusion conference, the air thick with the smell of electronics and ambition.

I looked down at my hands, steady, and took a deep breath.

This was real. A second chance, pulled back from the brink of a self-inflicted end.

But as I scanned the room, the past crashed into me. This was the day it all went wrong before.

The host nervously announced, "It seems our next speaker, the one and only Brittany Hayes, is running a little behind schedule."

Then, my phone vibrated.

It was Brittany.

"OMG Sarah, traffic is a nightmare! I'm gonna be late. Can you go up there and stall for me? Just say some smart marketing stuff. You're good at that. Pls pls pls save me! 🙏"

Word for word, the exact same manipulative plea that had led to my public humiliation and downfall.

In my past life, I' d been naive enough to agree, only for her to frame me as a desperate attention-seeker who tried to steal her spotlight.

It had shattered my career, my reputation, my spirit.

It started a chain of events that led to my ultimate destruction.

I had lost everything.

My company threw me under the bus, the industry blacklisted me, and the online mob issued death threats.

I stood on my apartment balcony, the city lights blurred by tears, and I let go.

The memory of my own death brought a chilling resolve.

Brittany Hayes had taken everything from me.

This time, the past wouldn' t repeat.

This time, I knew the script.

This wasn't just a second chance at life; it was a second chance at justice.